Means of skimming a pool by use of vortex

Claim 2

In a skimmer for skimming liquid with floating debris, if present, from the surface of a pool, a vortex chamber having a floor, an entrance to the floor and an exit opening from the floor, said floor sloping downwardly and inwardly to the exit opening from an upper and outer region of the floor at the entrance, to form a sink which empties downwardly through the exit opening, said entrance being adapted for passage of surface liquid from the pool to the chamber, and being constructed and arranged to direct incoming liquid from the pool to the chamber floor in a downward direction and with a tangential component relative to the exit opening, thereby augmenting the tendency of the incoming liquid to flow in the form of a vortex at the chamber floor down to the exit opening so that the liquid passing through the exit opening carries debris with it.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the entrance communicates with the floor and is provided with wall means positioned to allow the entrance to direct the incoming liquid substantially tangential to the sink, so that the incoming poOl liquid forms the vortex commencing at or near the level of the pool surface from where it extends down into the sink to the exit opening.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the sink floor is substantially frustoconical.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the entrance has an entrance floor inclined relative to the horizontal, and one side of said entrance floor is higher than its other side and higher than the floor of the sink.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the floor of the entrance is shaped to form substantially a continuation of the shape of the sink floor.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the wall means includes a wall portion at the side of the entrance opposite the higher side of the entrance floor.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the wall means includes a wall portion at the same side of the entrance as the higher side of the entrance floor.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a receiving tank is connected to said exit opening for receiving the liquid and debris from the vortex.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the receiving tank is provided with means for withdrawing the liquid from it.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the receiving tank has an upper portion and a lower portion in communication with each other when the liquid is at a normal level in the upper portion and the connection to tank from the exit opening leads into the upper portion, means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other when the liquid level is abnormally low in the upper portion, an outlet from the lower portion adapted to be connected to the suction line of a pump and a bypass conduit leading to the lower portion and operative when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other, to supply liquid from a source to the lower portion and thereby supply the pump.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other comprises a float seat at the junction of the upper and lower portions and a float above the float seat, which floats on the liquid in the upper portion at a distance above the seat during normal skimming operation, and which floats down on the seat when the liquid level in the upper portion recedes due to reduced flow into it from the chamber.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the float contains a member which blocks the entrance to the tank from the conduit when the float engages the seat.

Claim 14

In a skimmer for skimming surface water from a pool, a tank of the type having an upper portion and a lower portion in communication with each other when the water is at a normal level in the upper portion, means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other when the water level is abnormally lower in the upper portion, an outlet from the lower portion adapted to be connected to a suction line of a pump, and a bypass conduit leading to the lower portion and operative when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other, to supply water from a source to the lower portion and thereby supplying the pump, said sealing off means comprising: a movable floatable body having an upper surface and a lower surface, within the upper tank portion, and a seat at the junction of the upper and lower tank portions on which either the upper or lower surfaces of the floatable body can rest to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other, said body having a passage way through it from the upper to the lower surfaces, and a removable plug closing said passage way to prevent flow of liquid through it when the lower surface of the body is engaging the seat in the normal operating position of the floatable body, a valve means located in the lower tank portion adapted to open when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other by the lower surface of the floatable body and also adapted to be actuated to a closed position to shut off flow through the Bypass conduit, actuating means at the said upper surface of said body positioned to engage and actuate the valve means to shut the valve means when the body is inverted from the normal operating position so that when the body is placed so that said upper surface engages the seat, in said inverted position, the actuating means actuates said valve means, whereby a vacuum hose fitted to said opening when the plug is removed, can draw water from the pool in a cleaning process and send said water through the opening into the lower tank portion to supply the pump.

Claim 15

In a skimmer for skimming surface water from a pool, a tank of the type having an upper portion and a lower portion in communication with each other when the water is at a normal level in the upper portion, means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other when the water level is abnormally lower in the upper portion, an outlet from the lower portion adapted to be connected to a suction line of a pump, and a bypass conduit leading to the lower portion and operative when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other, to supply water from a source to the lower portion and thereby supplying the pump, said sealing off means comprising: a movable floatable body having an upper surface and a lower surface, within the upper tank portion, and a seat at the junction of the upper and lower tank portions on which either the upper or lower surfaces of the floatable body can rest to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other, said body having a passage way through it from the upper to the lower surfaces, and a removable plug closing said passage way to prevent flow of liquid through it when the lower surface of the body is engaging the seat in the normal operating position of the floatable body, a valve means located in the lower tank portion adapted to open when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other by the lower surface of the floatable body and also adapted to be actuated to a closed position to shut off flow through the Bypass conduit, actuating means at the said upper surface of said body positioned to engage and actuate the valve means to shut the valve means when the body is inverted from the normal operating position so that when the body is placed so that said upper surface engages the seat, in said inverted position, the actuating means actuates said valve means, whereby a vacuum hose fitted to said opening when the plug is removed, can draw water from the pool in a cleaning process and send said water through the opening into the lower tank portion to supply the pump.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the actuating means is a protuberance at the upper surface of the floatable body.

Claim 17

In a skimmer for skimming liquid with floating debris, if present, from the surface of a pool, a chamber having a floor provided with an exit opening, said exit opening being within the floor, said chamber and floor. being positioned, constructed and arranged so that liquid from the pool surface flows into the chamber and onto the floor, so that the liquid entering the chamber forms a vortex at and above the exit opening, a receiving tank connected to said exit opening for receiving the liquid and debris from the vortex, said receiving tank having an upper portion and a lower portion in communication with each other when the liquid is at a normal level in the upper portion, said connection to the tank from the exit opening communicating with said upper portion, means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other when the liquid level is abnormally low in the upper portion, an outlet from the lower portion adapted to be connected to the suction line of a pump and a bypass conduit leading to the lower portion and operative when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other, to supply liquid from a source to the lower portion and thereby supply the pump.

Claim 18

In a skimmer for skimming liquid with floating debris, if present, from the surface of a pool, a chamber having a floor provided with an exit opening, said exit opening being within the floor, said chamber and floor. being positioned, constructed and arranged so that liquid from the pool surface flows into the chamber and onto the floor, so that the liquid entering the chamber forms a vortex at and above the exit opening, a receiving tank connected to said exit opening for receiving the liquid and debris from the vortex, said receiving tank having an upper portion and a lower portion in communication with each other when the liquid is at a normal level in the upper portion, said connection to the tank from the exit opening communicating with said upper portion, means adapted to seal off the upper and lower portions from each other when the liquid level is abnormally low in the upper portion, an outlet from the lower portion adapted to be connected to the suction line of a pump and a bypass conduit leading to the lower portion and operative when the upper and lower portions are sealed from each other, to supply liquid from a source to the lower portion and thereby supply the pump.